Six Ugandan truck drivers missing after armed men seize vehicles in South Sudan

What the report says

Six Ugandan truck drivers are missing after armed men reportedly abducted them and took their vehicles in Bor Town, Jonglei State, South Sudan, according to The Independent Uganda. The report says the incident happened between Tuesday and Wednesday morning at Mina Fish Port and Lew-dier docking site, both along the White Nile and used for fish trading and cross-border transport. Several of the seized trucks were carrying fish, and some vehicle registration numbers were cited by truck federation officials.

The article, citing Isaac Katabazi of the Alliance for Heavy Trucks Federation, says other drivers stranded in Bor believe the attackers may have been soldiers from the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, though that was not confirmed. Katabazi also said two Ugandan drivers, identified as Rasta and Ashraf, were injured after allegedly being beaten when they resisted the seizure. He added that some drivers had gone into hiding, and that the injured men were being treated in Bor.

Katabazi said he had alerted Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and urged urgent diplomatic action to secure the drivers’ release and recover the trucks. He warned the episode could disrupt trade between Uganda and South Sudan, especially given recurring complaints about harassment and insecurity on key transport routes such as the Nimule-Juba highway.

The story also quotes Uganda truck union leader Asadu Musisi Sentongo, who called for joint security measures and broader East African intervention. As background, cross-border truckers have previously protested at Elegu over alleged extortion and road insecurity in South Sudan, underscoring the wider regional trade and safety concerns surrounding the incident.